I've been playing around with the weather data, and thought you might like to see how our snow depth at Longmire compares to average--and record--snow depth. These are measurements taken at our weather station, going back to 1931, as recorded by the Western Regional Climate Center. (Note: there are two entries for Longmire: one recording data from 1931-1978, the other from 1978 to 2007.) The data show two previous springs where the snow has lingered this long at Longmire: 1955 and 1971. (1956 seems to have been a close third.) In 1971, the snow depth finally reached zero at the Longmire weather station on May 26.
Also worth noting: the following winter, the weather station at Paradise set a world record for the most snowfall recorded in a single snow year.
1 comment:
Hi Kevin
Interesting notes on the Longmire snow pack there. I want to note I have done a little research also myself here at the National Climactic Data Center and have obtained photo copies in PDF format of the Longmire Weather Station for the months of May and June of 1999. That previous winter Paradise as I am sure you are aware of had 1,032 inches of snowfall for the 1998-99 season. That sping in 1999 the snow depth was 4 inches on May 9th. It also snowed .5 inches on May 14th. according to the May observations page. Total snowfall for the month was 12.5 inches. Ok now for the real interesting fact here. On the June 1999 observations the ranger noted snow falling in the remarks on June 1st. This is quite interesting Kevin because I remember that day vividly as if it were yesterday. I saw it snow at Longmire on that day when I was at National Park Inn having lunch that day. The snow was moderate and wet that afternoon and back on the Trail Of Shadows there were snow patches back by the cabin still. The snow didn't really amount to anything. It didn't stick to the road and it also had a hard time sticking to the grass as well when I was out over on the trail while it was still snowing.
To date Kevin this is the latest I have ever seen it snow at Longmire but more interestingly it also snowed for a short while at Ashford that day when I was driving through town there in the early afternoon.
The June observations that ranger made that day on June only have temperature. High 55 Low 35 on June 1st. The snow column has a M for missing data in it but the remarks speak for themself and I remeber seeing the snow fall also. The record for June 1999 also shows it was quite cool and wet also from June 1st to the morning of June 10th. of 1999.
Keep up the great posts Kevin
Greg Carstens
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